SMALLER CATS. 413 



an equally marked inclination towards a rufous liue. Blyth states that some 

 of the grey varieties are hybrids with the domestic cat. 



Although invariably found in forest districts, the leopard-cat is not confined to 

 the hiUs, as it occurs in the sandarbans of Bengal at the level of the sea. Its prey 

 consists of small mammals and birds, and it is said to breed in the spring, when it 

 produces from three to four kittens at a birth ; the lair being generally in a cave 

 or under an overhanging clift! In spite of its small size, the leopard-cat is a 

 ferocious and spiteful animal, in captivity generally keeping curled up during 

 the daytime in a dark corner of its cage, instead of pacing up and down in 

 the usual restless feline manner. Blyth, who was unusually successful in taming 

 wild creatures, confesses to ha\ing utterly failed in all his efforts to conciliate 

 the leopard-cat, and his experience is confirmed by most others who ha^•e 

 had to do with the animal. Mr. Blanford states, however, that a specimen in the 

 London Zoological Gardens appeared thoroughly tame, and wouM answer readily 

 to the call of its keeper. The depredations of this cat appear to be conducted with 

 great boldness. General M'Master stating that he saw one carry off a fowl nearly 

 as large as itself, shaking it savagely meanwhile, and making a successful retreat, 

 in spite of the abuse, uproar, and missiles which the theft caused. 



The Seknal {Felits nerval). 



With the serval we come to a well-known African cat of much larger dimensions 

 than either of the three preceding species. It is a spotted cat, easily recognised by 

 the great length of its legs and the comparative shortness of its tail, which is con- 

 siderably less than half tlie length of the head and body. The ground-colour of 

 the fur is generally of a light tawny, becoming whitish beneath. The black spots 

 are generally small and widely separated,- but in the middle line of the back tend 

 to run together in streak.s. The cheeks and forehead lack the dark stripes found 

 in so many of the smaller spotted cats, but there are two very characteristic 

 horizontal black bands on the upper part of the inner surface of each fore-leg, by 

 which a skin of this species may be recognised at a glance. The tail is ringed 

 throughout with black, and has a tip of the same colour. In well-grown adult 

 examples the total length may reach 4 feet 8 inches, of which 16 inches are occupied 

 by the tail. This cat is found from one end of Africa to the other, but appears to 

 be more common in the south than in the north. Its " leggy " build and poor colora- 

 tion render the serval a by no means handsome representative of the family. 



Owing to the general lack of attention paid to them by the majority of 

 sportsmen and travellers, we have far less information as to the habits and mode 

 of life of the smaller cats of Africa and Soutli America than we possess with regard 

 to those of India, where a host of careful observers have made us tolerably well 

 acquainted with most of the Mammals in their wild state. 



In East Africa, as we are infomied by Mr. H. C. V. Hunter, the serval inhabits 

 the gi-assy plains at tlie foot of Mount Kilima-njaro, where it is not uncommon. 

 It also ran<i-es to an elevation of fi\ e thousand feet or more on the flanks of the 

 mountain. At that elevation a black specimen was obtained by Mr. Hunter, and, 

 since the natives have a separate name for this black variety, it must be compara- 



